Hasnain Alam; Story of a Disabled Cricketer
Posted by UMAR FAROOQ
Hasnain Alam realized being a cricketer was his dream and he realized this from a very early age. He was son of a soldier and his father was his support and his coach before he joined a cricket academy.
He started practicing from the age of six and it took him 11 years to finally make it to U19 cricket team of Pakistan. He toured New Zealand with the National U19 team but did not get a chance to bat. He performed in domestic cricket and scored a century against Karachi in the final overshadowing Shahid Afridi who was playing in his opposition team.
He couldn’t become a part of the national team and finally 19 years old Hasnain Alam decided to follow the footsteps of his father and joined Pakistan Army. By that time he had lost all his hopes to play international cricket for the National team.
It was a hard decision at that time but internal politics forced me to quit and go for the second choice. I was also interested in joining the army as my father was there too
The same father who taught Hasnain how to carry the bat also taught him how to carry a gun and rather than representing Pakistan on cricket field, Hasnain ended up represent Pakistan on the battlefield.
22-year-old Hasnain Alam suffered serious injury from a blast in July 1999 during the first month of his posting and this multiple splinter injury left him with 110 stiches and major artery damage in his right arm.
The doctors said that they will have to cut my arm in order to stop the increasing infection but the damaged arteries were replaced through Micrografting and I was able to return to the battlefield with my arm intact
Seven months later, Hasnain Alam was critically injured once again on 21st of June 2000.
I was in North Pakistan when I stepped on an Anti-Personnel Mine. I had no idea what happened at that time, I just headed back to the base
The blast had claimed half of his left foot and when Hasnain was informed about this injury, the only question he asked the doctor whether he will be able to play cricket again. Doctor told him that he will never be able to run like before.
Hasnain Alam was discharged back in 2001 after he spent five months in hospital treatment table but on his return home, he had a huge surprise waiting for him.
For a cricket lover what could be a better surprise than playing cricket just after returning home from a hospital? My friends had a cricket match arranged for me at a local ground and I went on to score a century.
His dream of playing cricket went alive once again and from that point on he participated in more and more matches. Hasnain Alam became captain of the Army cricket team that competed in Grade II domestic events. He led that team for nine years and scored many runs but he was medically boarded out of army in 2011 and his service came to an end.
In 2008 Hasnain Alam tried for the disabled cricket team and was selected as captain of the team. He scored first-ever century in disable cricket and that too in the first series against England. His century was followed by one-armed Matloob Qureshi’s ton and both of them put on more than 200 together.
It really is an honor for me to make a record that can never be broken. It is like Majid Khan scoring the first century for Pakistan
It was the determination of Hasnain Alam that helped him cross all the obstacles and turn his dream into reality. Motivation and determination are the tools that everyone can use to his/her advantage and make their dreams come true one day.
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